Three to Tango
by adpi24
Summary: S? What happens when your ex comes back into your life? Sara's about to find out.
1. Default Chapter

Chapter Title: Somewhere I belong

Co-Written by Adpi24 and MissyJane (cause we can, he he)

Disclaimer: We own nothing! Nada, zip, zilch! We don't own the characters or Las Vegas. He he. Heck we don't even own the title Somewhere I Belong. That is strictly property of Linkin Park. We are just borrowing it. Feel free to sue. I'm a poor special education teacher and Missy is a poor student who starts student teaching in the fall.

AN: Missy and I just were bored and decided to write a fun story. We were gonna wait until she came to visit me in 3 weeks but vetoed that idea. Which I guess is good for y'all.

* * *

I wanna heal, I wanna feel what I thought was never real  
I wanna let go of the pain I've held so long  
(Erase all the pain till it's gone)  
I wanna heal, I wanna feel like I'm close to something real  
I wanna find something I've wanted all along  
Somewhere I belong

* * *

Sara was excited.

For the first time since "Grissom imposed" mandatory use of vacation time. Grissom had told her she must take her 6 weeks of saved up vacation time and "think about" what she had done (driving drunk) and find a "new hobby".

So here she was at the YWCA waiting for her self-defense class to start. Tonight was the night that the man wearing the "body suit" would be present. She couldn't wait, she had so much anger built in and she was waiting to unleash it! In fact, she wanted to be the first to kick this guy's ass.

Sara walked into the room and glanced around. There were several women standing around. All of them were different shapes and sizes. She was five minutes early but she really didn't feel like speaking to anyone. She was afraid that she would let loose some of her anger and that wouldn't be fair to the other women. Nope, she's gonna wait for the guy to come. She almost felt sorry for him, almost, after all it was his decision to do this in the first place. So if he wants to get his ass kicked by a bunch of women, then all she could say was go for it.

Sara sat back and thought about the first time she attended the self-defense class, it was nearly one month ago. The class met twice a week, on Monday's and Wednesday nights. The first couple of class were, in all honesty, quite boring for Sara. She was already trained in weaponless defense, but when she came to the YWCA to "find new interests" for her life she was told that the "dummy" would be in the class. She immediately signed up knowing that eventually she would be able to express her repressed rage to some poor sap.

Her instructor walked in. Vivian was around six feet tall and had massive muscles. She had told them on her first day that one of her goals in life was to be on American Gladiators, but she got sick and had to drop out. Sara stood up and they began the session by doing some exercises. Sara didn't want to exercise. She just wanted to hit something tangible instead of air she had been hitting in the previous classes. After they finished exercising, Vivian called in the guy. He was wrapped in so much padding that he looked like he could take on a Sumo wrestler. Vivian asked for a volunteer to go first.

Sara immediately raised her hand in anticipation of beating up some poor guy, so she could release "repressed anger". Little did Sara know that the "poor guy" in question was none other than her ex-boyfriend, Hank. When he turned around to face her, in the sumo outfit, Sara about lost her temper then in there. It took all her self control not to immediately beat the crap out of him. But the moment Hank said, "hey babe" that self control flew out the window.

Sara immediately balls her right hand into a fist and nails him in the nose. "That's for lying to me", Sara yelled at him. Before Hank has a chance to recover Sara turns and elbows him in the chest while yelling "that's for making me trust you". Sara then turns again to face him, lifts her leg and knees him in the groin. Hank goes down with a thud while Sara screams "AND THAT'S FOR USING ME TO CHEAT ON YOUR GIRLFRIEND."

Sara turns to see a stunned group of women and instructor. She readjusts her hair and fixes her clothing and says "I'm good now, next?"

* * *

Sara never felt so rejuvenated in her life. Not only did she _finally_ get to beat up Hank but her anger over he what did had suddenly disappeared. Vivian was telling the class that she was extremely proud of them and their "enthusiasm". She told them she would see them next week. Sara grabbed her bag and headed towards the door. She was saying goodbye to some of the women when she felt a hesitant tap on her shoulder. She turned to see a very bruised and beaten Hank standing behind her. She also noticed that when she turned he immediately took about two steps away from her.

"What do you want Hank?"

"Um, can we talk for a minute but can you promise not to beat me up again?" Hank asked in a quiet voice.

After a moment's thought Sara said "fine." They exited the classroom and moved down the hall as to not block the hallway or the door.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Sara asked

"I'm sorry."

"Excuse me" Sara said taken back by his sincere apology.

"I'm sorry that I used you to cheat on Elaine. I'm sorry that I hurt you. I'm sorry that I took your trust and then broke it. I know that it is hard for you to trust people and by me breaking your trust I didn't make it any easier and I wanted you to know how sorry I am and that I _totally _deserved the ass kicking you gave me."

"Hank I do appreciate your apology, I really do, but why now?" Sara asked

"Sara, I was so busy trying to get my life back together after what happened last year and then once I was "better" I would pick up the phone, be ready to dial your number, but in the end I always chickened out."

They stood in silence for a moment before Hank continued, "look Sara, I'm not asking for us to start a relationship again, but I'm hoping that maybe we can start up our friendship again."

Sara thought for a moment and then said "Okay, but the conditions are that we are taking this much slower than we did last time and you _have _to earn my trust back."

"I completely understand and in all honesty I wouldn't want it any other way." Hank replied. "So as friends, would you like to go out, catch up, just hang out?"

"Sure, what'd you have in mind?"

"So how do you like music?" Hank said with a smile in his voice.

* * *

Sara and Hank decided to go to the new bar that was on the strip, neither one had been and they thought it might be a good place to go and catch up. As Hank pulled his car into the parking lot, they noticed a sign outside that read "Karaoke Night Tonight!" Sara smiled and glanced at Hank.

"That sounds like it could be fun."

"Yeah, but I'll warn you now, I can't sing."

Sara laughed. "Even better. Besides karaoke is for people that don't sing well, otherwise we'd all be singers."

"I never thought of that before." He parked his car and shut off the engine. "Are you ready?"

She smiled. "Let's do it."

They got out of the car and walked in the bar. They found a spot near the back of the bar close to the stage. Their waitress walked up and asked what they wanted to drink. Hank glanced at Sara. He had heard about her near DUI and about to mention something when Sara asked for a beer. Hank smiled. "Make that two."

The waitress smiled and left them. Sara turned her attention back to Hank before he could comment, she stopped him.

"Look, I'm not a drunk and I don't have a drinking problem. I just wasn't thinking clearly that night."

Hank raised his hands in surrender. "I wasn't going to say anything. I heard about what happened through a friend of mine. He's a cop and he mentioned it to me."

"Could we drop this please? This is supposed to be a fun night for us. Let's not ruin it by arguing."

"Deal."

The waitress came back and handed them their beers. They drank and talked for a while. They were on their second beer when the karaoke contest began. The first person to sing was a man in his late twenties. He began singing Stupid Girl by Cold. Sara listened to the lyrics and felt that there was some truth in them. After the fourth person finished singing, Sara convinced Hank to go up and sing. She had no idea if he could carry a tune or not. He stood up and walked on the stage. He told the DJ what he wanted to sing and pretty soon the song Rest in Peace came on. Hank began singing:

_I died  
So many years ago  
And you can make me feel  
Like it isn't so  
But why you come to be with me  
I think I finally know  
You're scared  
Ashamed of what you feel  
And you can't tell the ones you love  
You know they couldn't deal  
But whisper in a dead man's ear  
That doesn't make it real  
That's great  
But I don't wanna play  
'Cause being near you touches me  
More than I can say  
And since I'm only dead to you  
I'm saying stay away  
And let me rest in peace_

_Let me rest in peace  
Let me get some sleep  
Let me take my love and bury it  
In a hole six foot deep  
I can lay my body down  
But I can't I know I should go  
But I follow you like a man possessed  
There's a traitor here beneath my breast  
And it hurts me more than you've ever guessed  
If my heart could beat it would break my chest  
But I can see you're unimpressed  
So leave me be and let me rest in peace  
Let me get some sleep  
Let me take my love and bury it  
In a hole six foot deep  
I can lay by body down  
But I can't find my sweet release  
So let me rest in peace  
Why won't you  
Let me rest in peace find my sweet release  
So let me rest in peace  
You know  
You've got a willing slave  
And you just love to play the thought  
That you might misbehave  
But til you do I'm telling you_

_Stop visiting my grave  
And let me rest in peace_

Sara was shocked the entire song. She couldn't believe how well Hank could sing. She started wondering what other hidden talents he had. Hank came back and sat down. "Sorry if I embarrassed you."

"Embarrassed? No, I'm impressed. I do have one question, where did that song come from?"

"Oh." His face turned red. "It's..um..from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Actually, it was the musical episode."

"I didn't know you liked Buffy."

"Yeah, I have the first six seasons on DVD. I can't wait for season seven to come out."

"So, what got you into watching it?" Sara took a drink of her beer.

"Three words Sarah Michelle Gellar." Hank smiled. "I actually wanted to be a guest star on the show. I would have loved to have been Buffy's date."

"I think you would have to fight Greg over that one. I've heard him mention Sarah Michelle Gellar a few dozen times."

They sat and talked and listened to other people sing. "Your turn Sidle."

Sara's face turned red. "You don't want me to sing."

"Oh yes I do and if you don't get up there, I'm going to pick your song."

She flashed him the infamous Sidle glare. "You wouldn't." She challenged.

He stood up. "You look like you can jam out to Spice Girls."

"Okay, okay. I'll go." She pulled him back down on his seat. She stood up and headed toward the stage wondering what she could possibly sing. She broke out into a huge grin. 'I've got the perfect song.' she thought to herself. She waited for the music to cue and then began singing:

_Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah  
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah_

_I think I did it again  
I made you believe we're more than just friends  
Oh baby  
It might seem like a crush  
But it doesn't mean that I'm serious  
'Cause to lose all my senses  
That is just so typically me  
Oh baby, baby_

_Oops!...I did it again  
I played with your heart, got lost in the game  
Oh baby, baby  
Oops!...You think I'm in love  
That I'm sent from above  
I'm not that innocent_

_You see my problem is this  
I'm dreaming away  
Wishing that heroes, they truly exist  
I cry, watching the days  
Can't you see I'm a fool in so many ways  
But to lose all my senses  
That is just so typically me  
Baby, oh_

_Oops!...I did it again  
I played with your heart, got lost in the game  
Oh baby, baby  
Oops!...You think I'm in love  
That I'm sent from above  
I'm not that innocent_

_Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah  
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah_

_Oops!...I did it again to your heart  
Got lost in this game, oh baby  
Oops!...You think that I'm sent from above  
I'm not that innocent_

_Oops!...I did it again  
I played with your heart, got lost in the game  
Oh baby, baby  
Oops!...You think I'm in love  
That I'm sent from above  
I'm not that innocent_

_Oops!...I did it again  
I played with your heart, got lost in the game  
Oh baby, baby  
Oops!...You think I'm in love  
That I'm sent from above  
I'm not that innocent_

When she finished, she walked back to her table, sat down, and took a drink of her beer. She didn't want to look at Hank at the moment even though she could feel his eyes boring into her.

"Just say it." She replied.

Hank laughed. "Where do I begin? First, Britney Spears? I don't even know where to start with that one and second, was there a hidden message in there for me somewhere?"

"You know, I think I'm going to let you ponder on that for a while. As for Britney, that was the first song I could think of that I knew all the lyrics to."

"Yeah right. Come on admit Sidle, you're a closet Britney Spears fan. I bet you have all her CDs hidden in a box under your bed."

Sara smiled. "You caught me. They're right in there with my Backstreet Boys fan club membership card."

Hank nodded. "I can't wait til I tell the guys." He grinned widely. "I bet Greg would love to discuss the world of pop music with you and I'm sure Nick and Warrick would love to hear your version of Oops I did it again."

"Oh Hell no!" She swore. "You're not telling a soul about this night. Understood?"

"What'll happen if I do?" Hank questioned her with mock seriousness.

"You might end up losing an important part of your anatomy."

"I thought you liked that part of my anatomy." Hank said with a smirk

Sara sighed at him, "I never said I didn't like it, because I did, but you would still lose it."

"Have another beer Sara. It'll loosen you up."

She shook her head no. "And get me drunk enough to forget this conversation. Not going to happen my friend."

Hank sighed. "Okay, fine. I promise I will not tell anyone that you're a closet Britney Spears fan or that you like my anatomy. I won't, however, promise this night didn't happen."

"In that case, do I get to tell everyone that I kicked your ass first?" Her face broke into a huge grin.

"One condition."

"Name it."

"If you don't tell the others what I sang."

Sara exhaled. "I was really hoping you'd forget that. I'm sure you and Greg would have had a lovely time singing about your 'girlfriend'."

"You know what, maybe I should tell the guys about your singing talents. Maybe that way they can help me convince you to wear skimpy clothes and do a performance for us."

"And maybe we'll dye your hair and bury you in a hole six feet deep."

Hank took a drink of his beer. "Alright, fine, you win. We'll keep this to ourselves for a while."

Sara shot him a triumphant grin. "I knew you'd see it my way."

They talked for another thirty minutes before they both had to leave. Sara needed to go home and get some rest as did Hank. They made their way back to Hank's car.

"If you want I can drop you off at your apartment and come get you sometime tomorrow to pick up your car."

"That's okay. I really should get my car in case something comes up." She replied as Hank opened the door for her.

"No problem." He shut the door and walked around his car and got in. They drove back to Sara's car in silence. Hank pulled up beside it. "Thanks for going out with me tonight."

"You're welcome. I had fun."

He smiled. "Me too. Maybe we can do this again someday."

She nodded. "Maybe." She opened the door and got out. "Be careful driving home."

"You too. Have a good night Sara."

"I will. Good night."

Hank watched as Sara got into her car, backed up, and drove away. He waited until he couldn't see her car anymore until he finally headed home.

* * *

Authors Notes: So go ahead and hit that review button, you know you want too. Seriously let us know what you think. We are both die hard N/S shippers, so don't forget that, but with story we have three more chapters that are already written and Hank is looking pretty good. We would love your feedback on this story. If you want Sara with Hank, let us know. If you want her with Nick, again let us know. Also, those will be the only two ships in the story.

Also, sorry if we spelled Britney's name wrong. Niether of us are fans of hers so spelling her name correctly is not at the top of our priority list.

Brianna & Missy


	2. Behind These Hazel Eyes

Behind These Hazel Eyes

Written by Brianna and Missy

Disclaimer: We own nothing, nada, zip, zilch. Please don't try to sue.

AN: Thanks to all who reviewed chapter one (Forensicsfan (yes we ate bad fries at Disneyland, he he), Kirsten, Anushka, Agent1332, Saraluver, Jen, EquestrianBabe & Kelly). Thanks to all who reviewed but I haven't received them yet.

I have to say that Missy and I are of course die hard N/S shippers but we are really conflicted on how we want this story to go. We definitely appreciate all the reviews and feedback. We just ask that you try to keep an open mind with this story because we definitely are.

Finally, I must plug (and I'm sure Missy would approve) this AWESOME fiction we just recently read. It is called "The Death of Conrad Ecklie" it was written by Annie Gap From Hell and it is amazing. Okay first it is a G/S fiction BUT it is a PARODY and it is HYSTERICAL! Missy and I were laughing so hard we were in tears. We HIGHLY recommend this story because it is just AMAZING!

* * *

_Here I am, once again  
I'm torn into pieces  
Can't deny it, can't pretend  
Just thought you were the one  
Broken up, deep inside  
But you won't get to see the tears I cry  
Behind these hazel eyes_

Behind These Hazel Eyes by Kelly Clarkson; Breakaway

* * *

Sara was bored.

Here she was ten days into her forced "vacation". She had cleaned her apartment, top to bottom, THREE times; went grocery shopping (for the first time in three months); knitted scarves (one for every member of the team) and read fan fiction from the internet based on her favorite show, Las Vegas. She was running out of things to keep her occupied.

Now here she was dancing around her apartment listening to 80's music. She was wearing sweats and a baggy Harvard t-shirt. Her hair was pulled into a messy ponytail. She was so preoccupied sing Love is a Battlefield that she didn't hear the knocking at the door or a couple of minutes later the door opening.

Hank stood there with a bemused expression on his face, clearly enjoying the humanity that was radiating from Sara at that very moment. Suddenly Sara turned and let out a girly scream.

"AHHHHH!"

Hank instantly threw out his hands in surrender, "waving the white flag! I give up!"

"What the hell are you doing here? You scared the crap out of me."

"I knocked, you didn't answer and I got concerned." Hank replied.

Sara gave him a soft smile, shrugged her shoulders and said "sorry".

"Now that that's settled, go get changed we're going somewhere."

"Excuse me"

"Go get changed. I'm taking you someplace, but it's a surprise."

Sara was about to protest but the stern and determined look from Hank's face changed her mind.

"Fine" she replied with a smile. She turned and headed toward her room. She stops, turns her head and said, "I thought you had to work today?"

"No, I got the day off."

Sara nods and continues toward her room. She quickly changes into jeans and a white tank top. Deciding she doesn't want to deal with her hair she puts on a baseball cap and walks back into the living room.

"Is this appropriate? Since you won't tell me where we are going."

Hank shrugged his shoulders. "You look fine but I'm still not telling you where we're going."

Sara grabs her keys and followed Hank out the door. She makes sure her apartment door is locked and they made their way to Hank's car. Being ever the gentleman, Hank opened the door for Sara. She smiles and gets in. Hank makes sure she's in okay and then shuts the door.

Hank walks over to the driver's side and gets in. He starts the car and backs out of Sara's apartment complex. Once on the road he turns to Sara, "I was going to make you wear a blindfold but I didn't want to get pulled over."

"How very kind of you" Sara replies with a smirk in her voice and a smile on her face.

After about a fifteen minute drive Sara saw they were heading into Botanical Park. Although not sure what they were doing Sara kept her mouth closed.

Hank pulls the car into an empty spot and states "we're here". Hank pops the trunk and exits the car, Sara following suit. He goes to the trunk and pulls out the basket and says to Sara, "can you grab the blanket?"

"You're taking me on a picnic?"

Hank closes the trunk and says "why yes Miss Sidle I am."

"Well thank you Mr. Pedigrew."

Hank puts him around Sara's shoulder and they walk into the park looking for the perfect spot for their picnic.

* * *

Meanwhile also in the park were Catherine and Lindsey. Lindsey was driving Catherine crazy with her non-stop chatter of boys, clothes and T.V. shows.

"Oh mom this boy Aaron in my class is sooo cute." Lindsey takes a second pause "he has the prettiest green eyes and amazing hair and there goes Sara and Hank, and he's tall and that's why you gotta buy me that outfit."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa go back" Catherine says

"To his pretty eyes?"

"No after that."

"To buying me an outfit?"

"Before that."

"Sara and Hank?"

"That would be it." Catherine states

"Oh, why didn't you say so" Lindsey states "their right over there having a picnic" she say's pointing to the left.

Catherine looks over to where Lindsey was pointing. She shrugged, disinterest written on her face. "They must have remained friends" she thought to herself.

Suddenly Lindsey jumped up and said "let's go say hi"

"I thought you wanted to go shopping" Catherine quickly states to avoid "visiting" Sara.

Lindsey's face brightens up "okay let's go".

Lindsey grabs Catherine's hand and about pulls her arm out, dragging her to the car.

* * *

"So there I was sitting in my Denali seeing the flashing lights behind me and the first thing I thought was "do I even have my license?"

Hank burst out laughing and Sara playfully hit him on the arm saying "It's not funny."

"Yes it is"

"And why is it so funny?"

"Let's face it Sara, you were out drinking then driving. Instead of thinking "oh shit I've lost my job" you thought "do I have my license?"

"Can we just drop this please?"

"You're so cute when you're upset." Hank replies teasingly

"So what happened between you and Elaine?" Sara suddenly asks in an attempt to change the subject.

"Oh you don't wanna hear that."

"Oh yes I do" Sara replies putting on her stubborn face. Hank sees he is defeated and sighs.

"Fine, after the last time we spoke I sat in my car and thought about what I had done. To you. To Elaine. And I decided I needed to be honest with Elaine."

"What happened?"

"The short version, eventually she left me."

"Eventually?"

Hank sighs, "We tried to work on the relationship. We went to couples therapy and I started seeing a counselor. We realized that we weren't really meant to be with each other."

"I'm sorry Hank"

"Don't be. I'm glad that it happened this way. My counselor helped me to realize things about myself and I needed that."

They sat in silence for a moment when Sara asked, "So you're doing better now?"

Hank smiles at her and replies "it would appear that way wouldn't it"

Sara smiles back and the two continue on with lunch and friendly conversation.

* * *

AN: So Missy and I have already decided how we want this story to run, but we would still love your input because we can definitely change it. We have only written up to chapter four. 


	3. Under Pressure

Three to Tango

Chapter Three: Under Pressure

AN: Thank you to all who have reviewed. Yes, we are finally back to working on this story and guess what….

It's finished! (I know y'all are so happy to hear this).

Disclaimer: Missy and I own nothing. We don't own the show or the characters or the songs we have put into this story. We are poor so don't sue us.

* * *

_Pressure_

_Pushing down on me_

_Pushing down on you_

Under Pressure: David Bowie & Queen

* * *

Sara was so happy to be back to work, not that she hadn't enjoyed her "vacation" because she had. She and Hank were officially a couple. They were taking things slow, really trying to get to know each other better.

So here she was back to work throwing her stuff in her locker. She closed her locker and turned to head out when Catherine came in.

"Hi Catherine" Sara said

"Hey Sara. How was your time off?"

"It was fine" she replied

"So anything interesting happen?" Catherine asked

"No, not really. Why?"

"Really, because I could have sworn I saw you and Hank at the park a couple of weeks ago" Catherine said

"So" Sara said

"So after what he did to you, why would you be with him?" Catherine asked, anger rising in her voice.

"Why do you care?"

"I care because I was the one who was there for you when you discovered he was using you to cheat on his girlfriend"

"Look, things are different now" Sara said

"Sara, once a cheater always a cheater"

"Look Catherine, I really appreciate your concern but Hank's changed. He started seeing a therapist to talk about why he cheated. I've even gone to the therapist with him so that in a safe setting I could discuss with him how he made me feel by using me and he could deal with it."

"That's good and I am really happy for you. I just don't want to see you get hurt again"

"I don't want to get hurt again but I do know that he deserves a second chance. I want to give the relationship a shot. He knows that he has to rebuild my trust." Sara said

"You tell him that if he hurts you again, I'll kick his ass" Catherine said with a smirk on her face.

Sara smiled, "Okay, I'll tell him"

"We better get in there for assignments" Catherine said

"Catherine"

"Yeah"

"Can you please keep my relationship with Hank to yourself for now?"

"Sure"

"Thanks"

* * *

The two headed into the break room and saw the rest of the team was ready to go.

"Hey Sara" Greg said

"Hey Greggo, how are you?"

"I'm good, we missed you"

"Speak for yourself, Greg" Warrick replied in a joking manner

"Thanks Warrick" Sara said laughing "hey Nicky"

"Hey Sar"

Sara and Catherine walked over to get some coffee then joined the guys at the table.

"So Sara, I hear you got a new man, tell me it's not so" Greg asked

Sara shot Catherine a glare that very much said "you promised you wouldn't say anything"

Catherine in return shot her a look that said "I didn't tell him anything"

"Is that true?" Nick asked

"Judging from the look she just shot Catherine I would have to say yes and that Cath knows the guy" Warrick said

"Yes, I have a boyfriend. Yes, Catherine knows who he is. No, I will not discuss anything about him or our relationship because I want my personal life to be just that, personal." Sara said

Grissom decided to make his entrance at that moment, "Hello guys, welcome back Sara. We already have a busy night. Catherine and Greg you have a 419 in Anderson Heights. Warrick and Nick a B&E at The Mirage, Sara and I have a hit and run right off the strip. Let's go."

With that people grabbed their assignments and headed off to work

* * *

Sara was exhausted by the time she and Grissom got back from collecting evidence from their hit and run. After 6 weeks of going to bed at normal hours, and not being awake at 3am, her body was about to mutiny on her.

As she walked by the reception she was called back by Hilary, the receptionist.

"Sara, you had a delivery, it's in the break room for you"

"Thanks, Hilary" Sara called back

She wasn't expecting anything so she was shocked, to say the least, when she walked into the break room to see a dozen red roses sitting on the table. She walked over and grabbed the card.

_Hope you are having a great first night back to work_

_Love, Hank_

Sara smiled and leaned down to smell the roses. She couldn't believe Hank did this for her. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't her Nick and Warrick walk in.

"Nice roses, are they yours Sara?" Nick asked

"Yeah, Hank sent them to me" Sara said not even realizing that she had just said his name

Warrick and Nick exchanged looks with one another.

"Hank, as in Hank Peddigrew?" Nick asked

Sara closed her eyes and sighed. She turned around and faced Nick and Warrick, who had mixtures of shock, confusion and the beginnings of anger etched on their faces.

"Yeah, that Hank"

"What the hell are you thinking?" Nick said loudly and angrily

"Excuse me" Sara yelled back

"Uh, I think what Nick means but didn't properly say is why Hank?" Warrick said

"It just happened. I can't explain it."

"Sara he used you to cheat on his girlfriend" Nick said, his voice still loud and full of anger

"Yeah, I know that and it was over year ago" Sara replied defensively

"Are you sure you can trust him?" Warrick asked in a calm voice, trying to stay rational amongst his unrational friends.

"As I told Catherine, Hank knows that he has to build my trust back and he is working on it"

"Typical Sara. You always go for the guys who you know are going to hurt you instead of going after a guy who will treat you the way you deserve to be treated" Nick said angrily

"What the hell Nick. I thought you were my friend?"

"I am your friend Sara and I don't want to see you get hurt"

"If you really were my friend you would be supportive of my decisions and you know what Nick relationships are tricky. Some work and some don't. There is no guarantee in life. I may get hurt, I may not, but these are things that I have to deal with and choices I have to make.

With that Sara left the break room.

* * *

Sara spent the remainder of shift avoiding Nick at all cost, which wasn't too hard since he seemed to be avoiding her as well.

When she finally got home, she threw her keys on the table, laid her flowers down and picked up the phone. She dialed Hank's number and plopped down on the couch as she waited for him to answer. He picked up on the second ring.

"Hey sweetie. Thanks for flowers, they were gorgeous…shift was okay…the team found out we're dating, well Catherine already knew she saw us on our picnic a couple of weeks ago…yeah I know….Greg, he was heartbroken, Warrick was worried about you hurting me again and Nick…well…Nick was an ass… he started in on me…we got into a yelling match with each other and then avoided each other for the rest of shift…he is my friend….but he needs to be supportive of my choices…as a friend he should just be there….um hum….yeah….well if he bothers you let me know….okay…I will…no, I'm going to do some laundry then go to bed…okay….tomorrow… bye."

Sara hung up the phone, went to her bedroom and grabbed her laundry. She'll talk to Nick later on. She knows that he, just like everyone else, is just going to need some time.

* * *

AN: Hit that lovely little "submit review" button. :D, you knowyou want too!


	4. Lucky

Three to Tango

Chapter Four: Lucky

Disclaimer: Still the same, we own nothing

AN: Thank you to all who reviewed chapter three!

AN2: Some romance, fair warning in advance.

* * *

_Remember the time we made love in the roses_

_And you took my picture in slow soft poses_

_How can I ever get over you_

_When I give my life for yours_

_I know we are we are the lucky ones_

_I know we are we are the lucky ones_

_I know we are we are the lucky ones_

_I know we are we are the lucky ones_

Lucky, Bif Naked

* * *

Sara was driving home after a hard double shift. Things between Nick and her were much better. They had a long talk and they both came to an understanding. Deciding that their friendship was too important to waste because of the guy Sara was dating. Six months have passed since she and Hank had started dating. Tonight was their anniversary and although she didn't have anything planned, she wasn't so sure about Hank. She had called him earlier that morning to let him know she was pulling a double. He said that he understood and that he loved her. He said that they could always celebrate at another time. He mentioned that Thanksgiving was only a few weeks away and that he wanted her to go with him home to meet his parents and have Thanksgiving with his family.

She pulled her car into her usual spot. She felt a tinge of disappointment when she didn't see Hank's car anywhere.

'Oh well' she thought 'we'll just have to celebrate this weekend'. She walked to her apartment and noticed something was off. First, she noticed a light flickering under the door. She reached for the door and realized it was unlocked. She pulled out her gun and cautiously opened the door and quietly walked inside.

Rose petals and candles were spread throughout the apartment. The rose petals were scattered all on the floor and her furniture leading to the hallways. Candles were sitting in various places in her apartment. Needless to say Sara was shocked, so much that when Hank walked in she couldn't even move. She was still holding her gun out in front of her.

Hank stood in front of her, "Sara, honey, are you okay?" he asked

Sara couldn't speak, she could only nod.

"Do you like the roses and the candles?"

Once again, she could only nod.

Hank reached for her hand, which still held her weapon. "Why don't we put this down before one of us gets hurt?" He took the gun from her and set it down on the table in the entrance way.

"Do you like your anniversary present?"

Finding her voice she replied "This is the best present I've ever had"

She was so overcome with emotion, she began to cry. Hank pulled her into a hug.

"Well, you deserve it" he pulled back and stared into her eyes "I love you Sara"

She smiled through her tears, "I love you too"

"I hope you're hungry because I made your favorite dinner."

"Oh, you made a call to the China Buffet?" Sara said

Hank playfully smacked her arm, "funny, real funny Sar" He took her hand and began leading her to the kitchen, "why don't I just show you instead"

The wonderful smell of lasagna filled the air and she grinned, "You made lasagna. You hate lasagna"

Hank smiled, "Yeah well, you love it and I love you. I would do anything for you."

Sara pulled him close to her. She brought her hands to his face and pulled him into a savory and passionate kiss. Moments later they broke apart.

"Our food is gonna get cold" Hank whispered

"We have a microwave" she whispered back

Hank gazed at her, "are you sure? I don't want to push you into anything you're not ready for"

Sara took his hand, "I'm sure. I've never been so sure about anything else in my life"

Hank leaned down, his lips captured hers. He carefully picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. He gently placed her on the bed. He looked into her eyes giving her a chance to back out; instead she pulled him on top of her.

* * *

Sara awoke later that night. She felt a weight on her stomach. She glanced over and smiled. Hank was sound asleep. She felt so loved. At this moment in her life she felt complete.

"I love you so much" she whispered and snuggled closer to Hank.

She drifted back off to sleep, content and full of love.

* * *

AN3: Sorry it was a short chapter. The next couple of chapters are a bit longer. Plus, chapter 3 was pretty long. Don't forget to hit that review button and let us know what you think.


	5. The Reason

Three to Tango

Chapter Five: The Reason

Written by Missy and Brianna

Disclaimer: Missy and I still don't own anything.

AN: Thank you to all who have reviewed chapter four. We love reviews!

* * *

_I found the reason for me_

_To change who I used to be_

_A reason to start over new_

_And the reason is you_

The Reason: Hoobastank

* * *

Hank nervously waited for Sara to get off work. He needed to talk to her about something and he wasn't sure how she would respond. The past ten months had been the best of his life.

He began to pace their apartment and compulsively checking the time. He was about to check the window again when the phone rang, he quickly grabbed it.

"Hello"

"Hey Hank, its Nick, just wanted to make sure Sara got home okay"

"She's not home yet. Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure. She didn't look like she was feeling well, kind of pale. I think she threw up a couple of times. Grissom tried to send her home, but you know Sara"

Hank laughed, "Yeah". Hank heard her car pull up, "Nick she just got home, thanks for calling"

"You're welcome. See you tomorrow for basketball"

"Yeah. You're going down Stokes" Hank said laughing

Nick laughed, "Don't count on it Peddigrew. Tell Sara I hope she feels better"

"Okay, bye" Hank said and hung up the phone just as Sara came inside.

"Hey, who were you talking to?" Sara asked

"Nick called; he thinks he's going to beat me tomorrow"

Sara laughed and sat down on the couch.

"Nick also mentioned that you weren't feeling well"

"I'm feeling better" Sara replied

"You sure?"

"Yeah, positive"

"Good, cause we need to talk"

"Oh god, nothing good comes from the phrase 'we need to talk'" Sara said

Hank laughed, "This isn't bad"

He sits down next to her on the couch.

"After what happened between you, me and Elaine I was so lost. I wasn't sure who I was anymore. That year was really hard for me to find out who I was and when I saw you last June I was actually at rock bottom. But you came back into my life and I was given a second chance. You brought meaning back into my life."

"Hank, I…."

"No let me finish" He reached into his pocket and pulled something out, "Sara I love you and I can't imagine my life without you. When I dream of my future I see you in it. I see you as the mother of my children. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

Sara, through her tears, whispers "yes". Hank kisses her and slides the engagement ring on her finger.

"I thought you were going to break up with me" Sara said

"Never. I love you"

"I love you too"

Hank notices that Sara's face goes pale.

"Sar, are you sure your okay?"

She leans back into the couch. "I'm not sure. I've been worn down lately, really tired. I haven't been able to keep much down."

"Are you going to go to the doctor?" Hank asked

"No, I think I might know what's wrong" Sara answered giving him a look. Hank understands and gives her a nod.

"I guess I'm making a trip up to Walgreen's"

Sara smiled, "Thanks sweetie"

"I want you to go lay down though okay"

"Okay"

"I'll be back soon" Hank said as he headed towards the door.

* * *

Hank returned home twenty minutes later and found Sara in their bedroom watching America's Next Top Model on VH1.

"Hey sweetie" Hank said as he entered the room.

Sara looked over and saw Hank was holding a Walgreen's bag with more than one item in it.

"Geez, one would have sufficed"

"Yeah, but they're not one hundred percent accurate and we need to be sure"

"How many did you buy?"

"Three"

Sara rolled her eyes and laughed, grabbing the bag from Hank.

"I guess it's a good thing I had to pee then"

Sara entered the bathroom, emerging a few minutes later. "Okay, we have like two minutes" Sara said plopping back down on the bed.

Hank sat down next to her. "How do you feel about this?"

"Honestly"

Hank nods

"It really scares me"

"Well, I'm scared too but we are in this together and you are nothing like your mother"

"I hope you're right"

"I know I'm right. Sar, you're going to be an amazing mother"

"You're so sure those tests are going to come up positive" Sara said with a hint of humor in her voice

Hank smiled, "I am a paramedic"

"Well, Mr. Paramedic why don't you go in and get those results"

Hank nodded, got up from the bed and went to the bathroom. He returned with the tests in his hands.

"Well?" Sara asked

Hank handed her the tests and smiled, "You're going to be a mommy"

Sara took the tests, looked up at Hank and returned a smile, "and you're going to be a daddy"

* * *

AN: We know, we know, sappy. LOL. But we hope you enjoyed the chapter. Again, sorry it is kind of short. But I can tell you that we have finished this story and a few of the later chapters are quite long. 


	6. Only Hope

Three to Tango

Chapter Six: Only Hope

Disclaimer: Same as the previous five chapters, Missy and I own nothing

AN: Thank you to all who have reviewed the previous chapters.

Also, this chapter is kind of short. This is on purpose. The next couple of chapters are quite long since Missy and I had every chapter planned in advance.

* * *

_And I lay my head back down_

_And I lift my hands to pray_

_To be only yours_

_I pray_

_To be only yours_

_I know now you're my only hope_

Only Hope; Mandy Moore and Switchfoot (from A Walk to Remember)

* * *

Sara stood nervously in front of a long mirror. She almost didn't recognize the woman staring back at her. Her hair was swept up with stray curls hanging down the side of her face. Catherine had insisted on doing Sara's make-up. Her wedding gown was very simple, which was what she wanted. She didn't see the point of spending a lot of money on something she was going to wear once and then tuck it away in her closet somewhere. Her dress also accommodated her expanded belly, since she was now in her fourth month of pregnancy. 

"Are you nervous?" Lindsey asked while Catherine was finishing her daughter's make-up. Sara turned to face her. "A little". Catherine laughed. "Don't worry, you'll be fine."

There was a knock at the door; "its Brass" came a voice from the other side of the door.

"Come in" Sara said

Brass walked in and smiled, "We're about ready to head to the park"

Sara nodded, "Thanks"

"You look beautiful Sara" Brass said

"Thank you", she grinned, "You don't look so bad yourself"

Brass laughed and left the room. Catherine turned and focused her attention on Sara.

"Let's get you married

Sara took a deep breath and the three ladies walked out of the room.

* * *

They arrived at the park and made their way to the tent that was set up directly adjacent to the Gazebo and the chairs that were set up for the ceremony. Everyone got into their appropriate places and Grissom entered the tent. He came up to Sara and gave her a hug. 

"You look beautiful" he told her

She pulled away, "Thank you"

The music began signaling Lindsey to begin walking down the aisle. Catherine followed behind her. Grissom wrapped his arm around Sara's. The music changed and both Sara and Grissom began their way to the alter.

Sara smiled as she saw Hank waiting for her. Nick, Warrick and Greg stood off to his right. She stepped up beside him.

"Who gives this woman to this man?" the preacher asked

"I do" Grissom responded and then gave Sara a kiss on the cheek. He made his way to the open chair next to Brass.

Hank reached for Sara's hand and smiled. They turned their attention to the preacher.

"Dearly beloved" he began and continued through the 'I do's' and the exchanging of the rings.

"I know pronounce you man and wife" he looked at Hank, "you may now kiss your bride"

Hank leaned over and captured Sara's lips with his.

The reception was in full swing by the time Sara and Hank finished with their pictures, which is what they wanted. They entered the tent and were greeted by his parents who offered hugs and their congratulations. They made their way through the crowd at sat down at the head table with Grissom, Catherine, Nick, Greg, Warrick and even Lindsey. They enjoyed a chicken dinner (now that Sara was pregnant she started to crave chicken) with a salad. They then cut the cake (which Sara warned Hank with castration if he got any on her dress). They then spent the rest of the night boogying down to "We Are Family", "Dancing Queen", "Macho Man", and countless other traditional reception songs.

The newlyweds finally made their exit around ten pm, content with the knowledge that they were now husband and wife and were going to be spending the rest of their lives together.


	7. Where I Am And You Begin

Three to Tango

Chapter Seven: Where I am and You Begin

Disclaimer: Did you see our names listed on the credits of CSI? No. Well there's your answer. We own nothing.

AN: Thank you all to reviewed

* * *

_There's a gap in between_

_There's a gap where we meet_

_Where I end and you begin_

_And I'm sorry for us_

_The dinosaurs roam the Earth_

_The sky turns green_

_Where I end and you begin_

_I am up in the clouds_

_I am up in the clouds_

_And I can't_

_And I can't come down_

_I can watch but_

_Not take part_

_Where I end and where you start_

_Where you left me alone_

_You left me alone_

_X will mark the place_

_Like parting the waves_

_Like a house falling into the sea_

Where I am and You Begin: Radiohead

* * *

Sara was now in her seventh month of pregnancy, she and Hank had been married for three wonderful months. They just moved into their house and were currently working on the baby's room. Sara was dying to know the sex of the baby, but Hank wanted it to be a surprise. She decided that since Hank was so giving to her, she would just wait until the baby was born to find out.

Sara was standing in the baby's room admiring the Winnie the Pooh decorations throughout the room, which she reasoned were good for any gender. There was no way she was going to decorate the room with any Barney stuff. She hated that dinosaur and no child of hers would watch the show. From the baby's room, Sara heard the front door open.

"Honey, I'm home" Hank's voice filtered through the house. He came into the baby's room and stood next to her.

"How are my two favorite girls?" he asked

She turned to him and smiled, "You're favorite girl and son are doing fine"

"Well, by the way you are carrying the baby is a girl"

"According to Catherine, it's a boy"

Hank shook his head, "How would Catherine know? She had a girl."

"Catherine is carrying the same way I am and the doctor told her she's having a boy"

"Whoa. Hold on a minute. Catherine is pregnant?"

Sara's eyes went wide, "shit that was supposed to be a secret"

Hank glared at her, "Who's the father?" he asked

"I plead the fifth" she stated

"This isn't court, Sar"

Sara started backing up, "Well uh" she said. Suddenly the phone began ringing, "Oh, phone! I'll get it" She said, making her way out of the room as quickly as she could (which wasn't too fast consider how pregnant she in fact was).

"This isn't over Sara"

"I'm still pleading the fifth" she yelled and answered the phone leaving Hank to ponder about this new development. He decided if he couldn't get it out of Sara he'd go to the next best source. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number.

"Stokes"

"Hey man, it's Hank. What's up?"

"Not much man, you?"

Hank shut the baby's door guarantying privacy for awhile.

"I heard Cath's pregnant" Hank came out and said

"Let me guess, Sara told you"

"Yeah, wait, how did you find out?" Hank asked

"I overheard Catherine talking about decorating her baby's room with teddy bears"

"Do you know who the father is?" Hank asked

"No" Nick answered "but I have a few theories"

"Well that's more than I have. Lay it on me"

He heard Nick take a deep breath "Well I first thought it was Grissom, but I found out he is seeing Lady Heather. Warrick's dating this one girl, so he's out. I was thinking maybe Brass"

"Brass" Hank thought about it "maybe but Cath likes 'em a little young"

"Are you trying to tell me she's with Greg?" Nick asked

"Hey, if Demi and Ashton can do it, so can Catherine and Greg"

"Good point"

Hank heard Sara hang up the phone, "Look, I've gotta go, Sara's come back to the baby's room"

"Talk to you later" Nick replied and Hank hung up. Hank put his cell phone back up just as Sara re-entered the room.

"That was my doctor. She was making sure that I remembered my appointment next Wednesday"

Hank smiled, "I'm looking forward to it"

"Me too" she replied "I just realized that we are out of milk. I'm gonna run to the store and get some"

Hank shook his head, "I'll go, and you stay here and rest"

Sara was about to protest but Hank stopped her "I'll be back in fifteen minutes"

He leaned down and kissed her. He started heading towards the door, but turned around "oh by the way, our conversation from earlier, it's not finished"

"What conversation?"

Hank laughed, "Cute. I'll be back soon". He went back to Sara and kissed her again, "love you"

"I love you too" Sara replied as Hank walked out the door.

* * *

Half an hour later, Hank still hadn't returned and Sara was beginning to get worried. He shouldn't have been gone this long. She tried calling his phone but he wasn't answering.

Forty-five minutes later, Sara began pacing. Suddenly a knock at the door got her attention. She made her way to the door and Grissom stood on the other side.

"Grissom, what are you doing here?" Sara said surprised to see him since she knew he was supposed to be working.

Grissom sighed, "Sara, Hank's been in a car accident."

* * *

AN: Oh Cliffhanger. Dun dun dun. (insert evil laugh) 


	8. Untitled

Three to Tango

Chapter Eight: Untitled

Disclaimer: Still don't own them

AN: Thank you to all who have reviewed. CSigurlie07: your review cracked me up :). Seriously, I needed it after my long day. And as for your question, it will be answered in this chapter.

AN2: TISSUE WARNING! GET THEM OUT! In fact the next couple of chapters will be tissue warnings as well.

* * *

_And I can't stand the pain_

_And I can't make it go away_

_No, I can't stand the pain_

_How could this happen to me_

_I've made my mistakes_

_Got no where to run_

_The night goes on_

_As I'm fading away_

_I'm sick of this life_

_I just wanna scream_

_How could this happen to me_

* * *

Grissom and Sara made their way through the hospital doors, quickly walking through the ER to the nurse's station. 

"Hello" Sara said to the nurse, "I'm looking for my husband Hank Peddigrew; he was brought in from a car accident"

The nurse nodded and typed in the computer "he's been taken up to surgery. Sixth floor. They'll be able to tell you more up there"

Sara thanked the woman and her and Grissom made their way to the elevators. On the sixth floor she was told the same thing 'he's in surgery'. The nurse up there did say that the doctor would be out to speak to her as soon as possible.

Grissom led Sara to the chairs.

"Grissom do you know what happened?"

"I'm not sure Sara. I was called to the scene because day shift was backed up. I saw that Hank was involved and called Catherine, Greg and Warrick to cover while I went to get you. I called Nick, so he should be here soon too."

Before Sara could respond Nick came running into the waiting room. He saw Grissom and Sara and headed towards them.

"I got here as soon as I could" he said giving Sara a hug. "Any news?"

"No, just that he is still in surgery"

"He'll be okay Sara. Hank is a fighter" Nick replied

"I just wish I knew something other than 'he's in surgery'"

"Can I get you anything Sar?" Nick asked

"No, thank you though Nicky"

"You sure?"

"Yeah" she replied

* * *

Over the next hour they sat in silence waiting for some word on how Hank was. Grissom occasionally got up to pace, while Nick held Sara's hand. 

A doctor came out and called, "I'm looking for the family of Hank Peddigrew"

Sara looked up, "over here"

Nick helped Sara up as the doctor approached them.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Carol Ross, I was in the ER when Hank was brought in and I performed his surgery"

Sara shook her hand, "I'm Sara, Hank's wife"

Doctor Ross nodded, "Hank was brought in unconscious, and his vitals were stable at that moment. While in the ER he did flat line. We were able to resuscitate him using the paddles. He was brought up for emergency surgery once we discovered there was internal bleeding. While in the OR we did have to remove his appendix, which had ruptured as a cause of the accident. We also had to remove his gall bladder. We were able to stop the bleeding but Hank is in critical condition. He is stable for the moment. He is IV antibiotics to treat the infection caused by the ruptured appendix. As soon as he is moved from post-op he'll be in the SICU. I'll make sure that someone comes to get you once he is moved."

Sara nodded and thanked Doctor Ross.

Nick, Sara and Grissom sat back down, waiting for either the team to show up or the nurse to come and get Sara.

Catherine, Warrick and Greg came bustling into the room not twenty minutes later. Hugs were exchanged and Sara recapped what the doctor had just told her.

"So what did you find out?" Sara asked

"A drunk driver ran the red light and t-boned Hank in the driver's side. Officers arrested the driver at the scene. He was three times the legal limit. We collected the evidence, dropped it off at the lab for processing and then came straight here" Catherine said

"The DA called and said that she would make sure this guy didn't get off scott free, he is going to have to serve some time" Warrick said

* * *

About thirty minutes later a nurse came out and let Sara know that Hank was in his room and two people could come and see him. Sara asked Catherine to come with her. They walked down the hall in silence, Catherine holding Sara's hand. 

"Hey baby" Sara said as they entered his room

Hank opened his eyes and gave a weak smile.

"Hey" he paused, "how are my two favorite girls?"

Sara smiled through her tears and took his hand, "we're fine"

Sara leaned down and gave him a kiss. "You're going to be fine baby" she whispered.

Hank smiled, and then noticed that Catherine was also in the room.

"Hey Cath, you gonna tell me who the daddy is?"

"What and ruin the surprise" she said to him. "Thanks Sara" she whispered in her ear.

"It was an accident" she claimed sitting down.

"Come on cath, I can keep it a secret"

"Maybe you can, but this one can't" she replied pointing to Sara

"I'm sorry"

"Sara, go to the hallway" Hank stated

"What!"

"I wanna know who the father is"

"But I just sat down. Your baby is tired"

"Fine, Catherine whisper it in my ear"

Catherine walked around to the other side of the bed and complied. Hank smiled and said "just as I suspected".

"Who? Who?" Sara said

"You sound like an owl Sara, but I'm not telling you, at least not yet"

Hank noticed Sara yawn, "Sara, baby, you should go home"

"No, I don't want to leave you"

"Please, get some rest for the baby"

Catherine walked back over to Sara, "come on, you can stay with me and Lindsey"

Sara agreed knowing she would lose the battle, Catherine helped her up and she gave Hank another kiss.

"I love you" she whispered

"I love you too, could you ask Nick to come in"

Sara smiled, "sure, see your tomorrow"

Hank smiled as he watched Sara and Catherine leave the room. He leaned back and waited for Nick.

* * *

_Everybody's screaming_

_I try to make a sound _

_But no one hears me_

_I'm slipping off the edge_

_I'm hanging by a thread_

_I wanna start this over again_

_So I try to hold_

_Onto a time when nothing mattered_

_And I can't explain what happened_

_And I can't erase the things that I've done_

_No I can't_

* * *

Nick entered the room a few minutes later. 

"Hey Hank, how are you feeling?"

"Not that great. I really need to talk to you about something"

"Sure man" Nick said as he sat down "what's up?"

"I need you to promise me something"

"Anything"

"Promise me that you'll take care of Sara and the baby for me"

"What are you talking about, you're going to be okay" Nick stated

"Nick, I'm a paramedic, I know I'm not going to be okay"

"You're not the only one who sees stuff like this. I've seen people worse off than you come out okay"

"Maybe" Hank paused "but I can feel myself slipping away. I'm not going to make it"

"Well you need to fight" Nick said raising his voice "You need to fight for Sara and your baby. They need you"

"Nick, I'm dying. I need you to promise me that you will take care of them. Promise me you will be there for Sara. Promise me that you will tell my daughter all about me and how much her daddy loves her" Hank said with tears coming down his cheeks.

Nick, through his tears, whispered "I promise"

"I need you to do me one more favor"

"Anything"

"Can you get a pen and some paper?"

* * *

Sara couldn't sleep. Other than the fact that she was seven months pregnant and incredibly uncomfortable, she was worried about Hank. 

Suddenly she got a nagging feeling in her chest. Something was wrong with Hank, she could feel it. She got up from the bed, noticing the clock read 3:23 am. She went into Catherine's room.

"Catherine" she said

Catherine awoke and mumbled, "Sara, are you okay?"

"Something's wrong with Hank, I can feel it. I need to be at the hospital"

Catherine, now fully awake, nodded and got out of bed. "Go wake Linds for me"

Sara nodded and left the room. She quickly woke Lindsey and the three women changed and were out the door in fifteen minutes.

* * *

Catherine broke records getting them to the hospital, leaving Lindsey in the waiting room, Sara and Catherine made their way to Hank's room. They increased their pace when they saw doctors and nurses running from his room. 

Sara and Catherine stood in the doorway, shocked by the sight before them. Hank was intubated with the nurse now "breathing" for him. Another nurse was pushing a shot of something into his IV. The biggest shock was that Doctor Ross was ordering for the paddles to be charged.

Sara jumped when Hank was shocked and the monitor still read a flat line. Doctor Ross ordered a higher voltage and shocked him again.

Catherine put her arm around Sara, who had tears streaming down her face.

Before they knew what had happened they heard Doctor Ross say, "Time of death 4:05"

Sara started screaming. Catherine pulled her into a hug, attempting to calm her, but she knew it would be no use.

Sara had lost her husband

* * *

_I've made my mistakes_

_Got no where to run_

_The night goes on_

_Stop fading away_

_I'm sick of this life_

_I just wanna scream_

_How could this happen to me_

Untitled: Simple Plan

* * *

AN: Like the ER references. LOL 


	9. Broken

Three to Tango

Chapter Nine: Broken

Disclaimer: Guess what, we still don't own anything

AN: Thank you to all who have reviewed (well except from the rude teenagers who somehow think at 13 & 16 they are better writers than two adults).

I need to point out that Missy and I betad this ourselves. We reread it a few dozen times and changed things around. With that being said, we know we aren't perfect (just because we are teachers, as one of those teenagers so kindly reminded us) doesn't mean we catch all mistakes. Why do you think teachers will tell their students to bring papers back up to them if they missed something? This is why. Grammar and spell check only goes so far. We are also aware of our verb changige (I made a new word, he he), and I try to fix it when I type it up but sometimes I miss things.

Some might think this chapter is sad, so be prepared.

* * *

_I wanted you to know_

_I love the way you laugh_

_I wanna hold you high_

_And steal your pain away_

_I keep your photograph_

_I know it serves me well_

_I wanna hold you high_

_And steal your pain_

* * *

It was raining the day Hank was buried. Nick, who had been staying with Sara, slowly walked to the master bedroom and knocked on the door before cautiously opening it. 

Sara was sitting on the bed, still in her funeral attire, tears streaming down her face.

"Sar, some of the guests have started to arrive"

She nodded but made no attempt to move. Nick crossed the room, sat down on the bed and put his arms around her. Sara laid her head on his shoulder.

"Nicky, I don't understand" she whispered

"I know Sara, neither do I"

"How could he leave us like this?"

"I don't know Sar"

"It's not fair"

"I know"

* * *

_Cause I'm broken_

_When I'm lonesome_

_And I don't feel right_

_When your gone away_

* * *

Nick couldn't agree more with Sara. The whole situation sucked. It wasn't fair that Hank was taken away from Sara and the baby, especially by a drunk driver. The DA was now pursing a vehicular homicide charge against the driver. 

It had taken Nick a long time to warm up to Hank. He was afraid of seeing Sara hurt again, but Hank actually made the first move. Hank called Nick and invited him to coffee. Nick had agreed. They met and talked. Hank explained why he did what he did and how much Sara meant to him and that he wanted to be with her. He promised he would take however long it took to earn her trust back again. After this conversation the two men began to build a slow friendship. At the time of his death, Nick considered Hank one of his best friends. He saw how happy he and Sara made each other.

* * *

_The worst is over now_

_And we can breathe again_

_I wanna hold you high_

_And steal my pain away_

_There's so much left to learn_

_And no one left to find_

_I wanna hold you high_

_And steal your pain_

* * *

After a few minutes of silence Sara announced she was ready. Nick helped her up and led her out to the waiting guests. Sara graciously accepted food and condolences. Nick kept close to keep an eye on her. The guests slowly began filtering out, eventually just leaving the team. Catherine and Warrick began to put the leftover food into the fridge, while Grissom and Greg began to pick up around the house. Sara announced that she wanted to go lay down for awhile and Nick walked her to the room. When he came back they all sat around the dining room table with cups of coffee in their hands. 

"How is Sara really doing Nick?" Catherine asked

"She has her good days and her bad days. She's dealing the best she can. The baby really keeps her going." Nick answered

"And how are you holding up?" Grissom asked Nick

"I'm doing fine. I'm just trying to help Sara out the best I can"

"Well you know Nick, one of us can take over and stay with her for awhile and help her out. She's our friend too." Warrick said

"I promised" Nick replied

"Promised? Promised what?" Greg asked

Nick sighed, looked behind him to make sure Sara wasn't in the room, and then started.

"Look, I haven't even told Sara this, so you all need to keep this quiet for now okay?" The team nodded. "At the hospital, after Catherine and Sara left Hank asked to see me. I went in and he wanted me to promise to take care of Sara and the baby. I was shocked. I told him he would be okay and he said he could feel himself dying. He wanted to make sure they would be okay before he did die. So I promised him I would take care of them"

"We had no idea" Catherine said

"Please don't say anything to Sara; I plan on telling her but not right now"

They all nodded. They sat in silence for awhile, drinking their coffee.

"What about the house?" Greg asked

He got some confused faces, so he continued, "What I mean, is can Sara manage the mortgage payments when she is on personal leave right now and will be going on maternity leave pretty soon?"

"I'm moving in" Nick stated "I've already made arrangements with my apartment complex. I'm bringing over minimal stuff and putting the rest into storage. Once Sara is ready, she can decide if she wants to stay here or sell and I'll help her with it"

"I think the best we can help Sara is by trying to eliminate as much stress as possible from her life. Make everything as simple as possible for her and the baby" Catherine said

"I couldn't agree more" Grissom replied

The group finished their coffee and finished picking up the house leaving Nick and a sleeping Sara an hour later.

* * *

_Cause I'm broken_

_When I'm open_

_And I don't feel like_

_I am strong enough_

_Cause I'm broken_

_When I'm lonesome_

_And I don't feel right_

_When your gone away_

* * *

Once the gang left Nick went and checked on Sara, who was sleeping soundly. He then went to the guest room and changed out of his suit, putting on some jeans and a t-shirt. He then wandered into the nursery. He saw that Hank must have started the crib, so Nick decided to finish putting it together. He grabbed the instructions and went to work. 

Sara awoke about twenty minutes later. She yawned and stretched. She got out of bed and changed into more comfortable clothes. She heard some clanking coming from the nursery and went to investigate. She walked to the room and stood in the doorway, a smile came to her face.

Nick was attempting to finish putting the crib together. He was almost done with it but seemed to be missing a final screw. He finally found it and screwed it in to place. Sara watched as he stood and smiled, apparently admiring his work. He turned and saw Sara in the door.

"Hey" he said

"Hey…thank you"

"You're welcome"

She entered the room, approaching the crib and touched the railing. "He started putting this together the day he died"

"I'm so sorry Sara"

She gave him a weak smile. He pulled her into a hug and stood there while she cried.

* * *

_Cause I'm broken_

_When I'm lonesome_

_And I don't feel right_

_When your gone away_

_You've gone away_

_You don't feel me here_

_Anymore_

Broken: Seether featuring Amy Lee

* * *


	10. Lightening Crashes

Three to Tango

Chapter Ten: Lightening Crashes

Disclaimer: Did you see either of us at the People's Choice Awards? No? That still means we don't own anything, change that we own one thing, the baby. Woo Hoo. Also, quoted something from The Bible (1st Corinthians for those who are questioning it), don't own it. We own the baby, that's it. LOL.

AN: Thank you so much to those who have reviewed. We really appreciate it.

AN2: TISSUE WARNING. You'll need them probably for the end of the chapter. If you cry at things, I can pretty much guarentee that you will need them

* * *

_Lightening crashes _

_A new mother cries_

_This moment she's been waiting for_

_The angel open's her eyes_

_Pale blue colored iris_

_Presents the circle_

_Puts the glory out to hide_

Live: Lightening Crashes

* * *

Greg decided to take Sara out for lunch since Nick had to work a double. They were sitting at the table at The Olive Garden enjoying their salad and breadsticks while waiting for their meals to come.

"So how is the lab functioning without me there?" Sara asked

"Well, no one can replace you Sara"

She smiled, "Thanks Greg"

"Although we still have a very pregnant and hormonal Catherine. What'd you two do tag team on when to get pregnant?"

"Hey, mine was an accident!" Sara said

"Yeah, that's what Catherine said" Greg mumbled

Sara raised an eyebrow in confusion, "excuse me?"

"I wish they would bring more bread" Greg quickly covered

"Okay…whatever"

Sara looks at the table and sees that they still have bread. She shakes her head. Greg notices this and quickly changes the subject.

"So got any names picked out?"

"Well, I'm still debating on girl names. Hank and I couldn't agree on any"

"What about boy names?"

"We agreed on Nathanial Ryan"

"Nathanial Ryan Pedigrew" Greg said then paused, "I like that"

Sara was about to respond but instead she grimaced and Greg got a worried look on his face.

"Sara, you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so"

"You sure?"

"My back hurts a lot and I've got some cramping but my doctor said that was normal"

"Okay" Greg replied hesitantly

Their food arrived moments later and they began eating.

"Shit" Sara said about ten minutes later

"What?" Greg asked

"My water just broke"

Greg immediately stood up and began to panic. "Oh my god! Oh my god! Call the police! Call the police!" he said loudly, attracting the other restaurant patrons nearby them.

"Police? Greg calm down. I just need to get to the hospital" Sara said sternly but calmly through her contractions.

"Hospital, right" Greg said, quickly throwing two twenties on the table to cover their meal and helping Sara out of the chair.

Greg guided Sara towards the entrance, muttering to himself, "calm down. Calm down. I have to do this with Catherine in three months"

Sara immediately stopped, "Excuse me" she gasped "Oh my god! You're the father!"

Greg pushed her into walking again to the door, "keep that to yourself Sara, okay?" Greg helped her get into his car and he went around to the driver side.

"A woman in labor is not responsible for what she says" Sara said as Greg go

Greg groaned, he needed to warn Catherine before Sara blabbed.

Sara groaned, "Greg, call Nick"

"Right, Nick. Gotta call him" Greg said grabbing his phone. He pressed the speed dial for Nick and waited for an answer.

"Hey Nick, its Greg. Sara's in labor. Yeah, we're heading there now. Okay see you there"

Greg closed the phone and pulled out of the spot and began driving towards the hospital. "He's at the lab, he's gonna tell Griss and meet us there"

"Greg, once we get there, don't forget to let everyone else know" Sara reminded him.

Greg only nodded and proceeded to the hospital. He could hear Sara take quick breaths, trying to ease some of the pain.

"We're almost there Sara, just hold on"

Sara tried to smile but a contraction decided to come at that moment.

"Oh, this hurts" she cried, tears began streaming down her face.

Greg turned the car into the hospital parking lot and parked in front of the ER. He quickly helped Sara out and led her inside.

Greg walked up to the nurse's station.

"My friend's having a baby" he said pointing to Sara.

The nurse smiled and called for a wheelchair, "are you the father?"

Greg shook his head no.

The nurse nodded. Before she could say anything, Nick rushed in. he noticed Sara and Greg. Sara was being helped into a wheelchair.

"I'm with her" Nick told the nurse and stood beside Sara. He took her hand, "I got here as soon as I could"

"You're fine" she replied, "I'm glad you're here"

Nick kissed the top of her hand, "I wouldn't be anywhere else"

The nurse took Sara and Nick to an exam room. The doctor came and did a quick evaluation to see how far along Sara was. She was only dilated to three centimeters so they had a bed saved for her in Labor & Delivery.

* * *

Meanwhile Greg had called the rest of the team to let them know of Sara's labor. Catherine was the first to arrive.

"How is she?" Catherine asked as she approached Greg.

"She's doing well. She's in pain but Nick's with her" Greg explained

Catherine nodded, "you did good Greg"

"Um, Cath there's something you need to know"

Catherine's face turned pale, "is there something wrong with the baby?"

"No, no, nothing like that"

"Than what?"

"I…um…I kind of slipped to Sara about us and in her condition I think she's gonna blab"

"We'll worry about that later" Catherine replied. "Besides they have no evidence and the testimony of a hormonal pregnant woman that's in labor. I told Eddie all kinds of crap when I was in labor with Lindsey and no one listened to me"

This comment seemed to satisfy Greg. They watched as Grissom and Warrick joined them.

"Any word yet?" Warrick asked

"Not yet" Greg answered

* * *

A couple of hours later the gang was in Sara's room keeping her company. Catherine was sitting in a chair near the bed. Nick was sitting down on the opposite side and was stroking Sara's hair and occasionally feeding her ice chips.

"How long is this gonna take?" Sara whined

"Labor can take a while. You should try to get some sleep while you can" Catherine informed her.

Sara rolled onto her side facing Catherine; Nick began to rub her back. The gang began to whisper quietly allowing Sara the chance to rest.

"Where's Linds?" Warrick asked Catherine

"She's at my mom's. She's mad because I wouldn't let her go over to her friend's house. It's a school night and I want her home"

"She'll get over it" Greg said

"I just have to hear her complain about it for a few days"

Sara started to stir. She rolled onto her back; her contractions were getting a lot worse.

"Nicky, could you please get me some water?" Sara asked.

"Sure, sweetie." Nick stood up and got some water fro her. He handed her the cup and helped her take a drink.

"Thanks" she said. Her face suddenly paled and she gripped onto her bed sheets. She started crying harder, "this hurts so bad."

Nick grabbed her hand and held it, "it's okay, just breathe."

A nurse came in to check on Sara, "let's see how you're doing." She lifted up the sheet to check how dilated Sara was. She put the sheet back down and smiled. "It's time; I'll go get Dr. Ross"

"We should probably give you some space" Grissom said.

"Yeah. Good luck Sara" Warrick said

Greg helped Catherine out of her chair. "Make us proud Sar." Catherine told her.

The gang walked out of the room as Dr. Ross came in. "Hello. I'm Doug Ross. I'm covering for Dr. Johnson; she had a family emergency, so I'll be delivering your baby"

"Hello"

"So, Sara, you ready to have a baby?" Dr. Ross asked as he prepared.

Sara took a deep breath and nodded. The nurse rejoined Dr. Ross and soon Sara was pushing.

"Keep going Sara" Dr. Ross encouraged "You're doing a great job!"

Sara's hair was matted down to her head. She had a death grip on Nick's hand; he actually thought she might break it if she squeezed any harder.

"Okay Sara, I need you to give me one more big push"

Sara pushed as hard as she could.

"You're baby's coming. I can see the head. One more big push"

"You just said that!" Sara yelled through the pain.

Doug chuckled, "yeah, but you still need to push. We've got to get the head out"

Sara growled and squeezed Nick's hand even hard. Nick was pretty sure he heard a bone crack. Sara screamed while pushing.

"The head's out" Dr. Ross said. Soon the shoulders followed and before they knew it Dr. Ross was holding the baby up for them to see.

"Congratulations it's a girl!"

Sara fell back onto the bed, exhausted but happy. 'Hank was right' she thought.

The baby's cries were heard throughout the room. The nurse cleaned her and handed her over to Sara.

Sara began to cry tears of joy as she took her daughter in her arms.

"She's so beautiful" Sara whispered

"Just like her mother" Nick whispered back

Sara glanced up at Nick and smiled, "thank you Nick, for everything"

* * *

The gang came in later to check on Sara and to see the new baby. They were arguing over who would get to hold her first.

"I'm her favorite uncle" Warrick said "so I should hold her first."

"Favorite uncle my ass! I'm her favorite. Hand her over" Greg demanded.

"You're both wrong. I'm her grandfather" Grissom informed them.

The gang gazed at him with confusion written on their faces.

"What? I walked Sara down the aisle. She's like a daughter to me. So that's my grandbaby" Grissom said.

"You guys are fighting over her and you don't even know her name" Nick said.

"Well? Tell us!" Greg demanded.

"We would like you to meet Savannah Rose Pedigrew" Sara proudly told them.

The gang awed. "I think Savannah would like to visit her aunt Catherine" Sara said.

Catherine smiled and gently took Savannah from Sara's arms.

"Hey there Savannah." Catherine said "I'm your aunt."

Catherine sat down holding the tiny baby in her arms. She couldn't wait to have hers.

"My turn! My turn!" Greg said waving his hands.

Catherine sighed and handed Savannah over to Greg, "Poor baby"

"Hey!" Greg said "Don't listen to them Savannah, they're just jealous."

Sara noticed the smile on Greg's face. "So Greg, are you ready to be a daddy?"

Greg's face shot up and he glanced over at Catherine then shot Sara a glare, all which did not go unnoticed by Nick.

"Wait a minute. Are you telling me… damn Hank was right!" Nick said.

"Okay. Okay, it's true. Catherine and I are having a baby boy in a couple of months."

"That's great Greg" Warrick said "Now hand over Savannah, you're going to have a baby of your own soon"

Greg gave Savannah over to Warrick.

"Hey there cutie" Warrick told Savannah. He smiled and had a strange thought. "Hey Greg, you're son might date Savannah"

"No daughter of mine is going to date until she's thirty" Nick immediately replied causing Sara to shoot him a glance marred with confusion while the other shared knowing looks with one another.

Grissom made his way to Warrick holding out his arms.

"I don't need a hug Griss" Warrick told him.

"You're not getting one. I want Savannah now hand her over"

Warrick sighed and eventually handed Savannah over to Grissom.

"Hello my sunshine. I'm your honorary grandfather" he told her "I'm going to spoil you rotten, give you lots of chocolate and then hand you back to your parents as soon as the sugar kicks in"

"Thanks a lot Griss. I appreciate it" Sara stated "can I have my baby back now?"

Grissom hands Savannah back over to her mother and tells Sara that he is very proud of her. The gang decided to leave giving Sara and Nick sometime alone. They said their goodbyes and left the room. Nick took Savannah from Sara and put the baby in the bassinet.

"Hey Sara, I just want you to know I'm very proud of you" Nick told her.

She smiled, "thanks, you didn't do so bad yourself." She glanced at his hand, "how's your hand?"

"Its fine" he answered. He walked over to his jacket and pulled out a piece of paper. "Sara this is for you"

Sara stared at Nick, "what is it?"

"It's a letter from Hank. The day at the hospital he asked me to write this for you. He wanted me to give it to you when the baby was born. He had me write one for Savannah too."

Nick walked over to Sara and handed the letter to her. "I'm going to go get some coffee and something to eat so you have some privacy"

Sara nodded. She held the letter to her chest until Nick left the room. She then stared at it for a moment. She was almost too afraid to open it. She took a deep breath, opened the letter and began reading.

_My Dearest Sara,_

_I'm sorry I can't be with you on this special day. You have just left the room and a part of me left with you. Nick is writing this for me. I want you to know how much I love you. I was blessed the moment you came back into my life. You came right when I needed you the most. We shared so many wonderful memories together. You gave my life new meaning and gave me a greater purpose. I was so honored when you became my wife. I'm thrilled that you are bringing our child into the world. I just wish I could be there with the both of you. You are going to be a wonderful mother, always remember this._

_I am reminded of our wedding as Nick writes this, what the minister read to us: _

_**Love is patient. Love is kind**_

_**Love is not jealous or boastful; **_

_**It is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; **_

_**It does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. **_

_**Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. **_

_**Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. **_

_**For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; **_

_**But when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. **_

_**When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. **_

_**For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. **_

_**So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. **_

_Please remember that I will always love you. I will always be with you. But please do not close your heart off to love. You are a beautiful person with an amazing heart. I know you will find love again and I want you to find love again._

_Love Forever_

_Hank_

Tears were streaming down Sara's face as she finished the letter. She laid down, rolled onto her side, clutched the letter and continued to cry.

* * *

AN: Missy and I cried when we wrote this "letter" and I just made it longer and more sad (he he I'm evil. I want you to cry).

Also, Missy and I don't own ER or the character of Doug Ross (cause if we did he would have never left the show. He he).

Go ahead and review. You know you want too!


	11. Lullaby

Three to Tango

Chapter: Lullaby

Written by: Missy and Brianna

Disclaimer: Do we look like we still own anything? Nope. You're right. We own nothing. We poor. He he. Oh wait, we do own Savannah. He he.

AN: Thank you so much for those who reviewed chapter 10.

AN2: You might cry with this chapter. Just a fair warning.

* * *

_Hush my love now don't you cry  
Everything will be all right  
Close your eyes and drift in dream  
Rest in peaceful sleep _

If there's one thing I hope I showed you

_If there's one thing I hope I showed you  
Hope I showed you _

Just give love to all

_  
Oh my love...in my arms tight  
Every day you give me life  
As I drift off to your world  
Will rest in peaceful sleep _

I know there's one thing that you showed me

_I know there's one thing that you showed me  
That you showed me _

Just give love to all  
Let's give love to all

Lullaby by Creed from Weathered

* * *

Nick, Sara and Savannah came home a couple of days later. Nick pulled into the driveway. He got out of the car and walked around and opened Sara's door. He then went to the backseat and got Savannah's car seat. He met Sara at the front door and let her in. They both headed straight to Savannah's room. When Sara opened the door they got the shock of their lives.

On the wall above the crib were pastel painted wood blocks spelling out "Savannah Rose". There was a rocking chair set in the corner with a huge teddy bear on it. A beautiful wooden changing table was on the wall across from the crib. The bottom shelves were stocked with diapers, while the top had stuffed animals in all shape, sizes and colors on it. In the corner across from the rocking chair sat boxes of presents. On the wall over the window was a huge sign that said "Welcome Home Savannah".

Sara was so overcome with emotion that she began to cry. Nick placed the car seat down on the floor, Savannah was still sound asleep in it. Nick put his arm around Sara.

"It's beautiful" Sara cried.

"Why don't you see if Savannah likes her new bed?" Nick suggested.

Sara nodded and bent down and carefully took her daughter out of her car seat.

"Hey sweetie, let's get you to bed." She carried Savannah over to the crib. Sara was about to lay her down when she noticed that there was a stuffed pig sitting in the crib. There was a blue ribbon around the pig's neck, attached was a note: "To Savannah, from your Grandpa Grissom" Sara read. Sara smiled and placed Savannah in the crib. Savannah didn't even stir. Sara watched her for a few moments and then headed out of the room with Nick, making sure to turn on the baby monitor on their way out. They made their way to the living room and sat down on the couch.

"You need anything Sar?" Nick asked.

"No, I'm just really tired" Sara replied

"Then why don't you go and take a nap and I'm going to get some things cleaned up around here."

"What about Savannah?"

"She's asleep. The baby monitors on and I'm not completely incompetent" Nick said with a smile.

Sara smiled back and got up, "I know". She kissed him on the cheek, "thanks. Wake me up if you need me."

Nick watched as Sara padded her way into the bedroom. He started cleaning up some of the dishes that were lying around. He was in the baby's room sanitizing everything when Savannah started to cry. Nick didn't want her to wake up Sara. He quickly went over to the crib and picked her up.

"Hey princess." He soothed her talking quietly. "What's wrong baby? Are you hungry?"

Savannah looked at him and continued to cry.

"Shh. Let's get you some warm milk." Nick carried her into the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of milk. Sara had made a few bottles before they left the hospital. Nick warmed the milk and tested it. He gave the bottle to Savannah who began to drink greedily.

"You must be hungry!"

As soon as she was done, Nick burped her and brought her back to the nursery. She began to whimper again and Nick checked her diaper. Sure enough, it needed to be changed. Nick brought her to the changing table and changed her. Savannah's blue eyes watched Nick closely. It was as if she was trying to figure him out. Once Nick finished he took her to the rocking chair. He sat down and began to rock her. She started to whimper. He did the one thing he could thing of and began to sing a lullaby to her.

"_Hush, little baby, don't say a word.  
Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird _

And if that mockingbird won't sing,  
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring

And if that diamond ring turns brass,  
Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass

And if that looking glass gets broke,  
Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat

And if that billy goat won't pull,  
Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull

And if that cart and bull fall down,  
You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town"

He didn't notice that Sara had entered the room. She just stood back and watched as Nick sang to her daughter. Nick gazed up and noticed her standing there and he stopped singing.

"How long have you been standing there?" he asked.

"Long enough"

"She was getting fussy"

Sara walked over to Nick and glanced down at her daughter who was now sound asleep.

"Why don't you lay her back down" Sara suggested.

Nick placed Savannah back in the crib and he and Sara quietly left the room and headed towards the living room. Once there they sat down on the couch.

"Nick, I really appreciate everything you've done. You've sacrificed a lot for me and Savannah."

"Sara, I…"

"No. Let me finish." Sara interrupted. "I know this isn't how you expected to spend the last couple of months. You know, baby sitting me. You gave up everything. I'm not sure why though. Savannah's my responsibility and I know we'll be fine. I'm sure you're ready to have a social life again. It's not that I don't love having you around, because I do, but it's not fair to you."

"Sara, wait. You don't understand, I want to be here. I care about you and Savannah. Look I need to tell you something and I need you to hear me out before you respond, okay?" He waited for Sara to nod before continuing. "That day with Hank at the hospital he made me promise to take care of you. What Hank didn't realize was that I was going to take care of you anyways. Even if he never asked me, I would have. I didn't give up anything Sara. I have gained everything. I have you and Savannah. She' my baby and I love her."

Tears were cascading down Sara's face. Nick gently wiped the tears away with his thumb.

"Nick. I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. I'm always going to be here for you."

Sara wrapped her arms around Nick and held him.

* * *

AN: Also, we don't own the lullaby. So don't try to sue us on that one either. 


	12. Butterfly Kisses

Three to Tango

Title: Butterfly Kisses

Disclaimer: We still don't own anything except for Savannah.

AN: Thank you to all who have reviewed the story. This chapter is a bit more lighthearted. I don't think you will need tissues for it. :D

* * *

_There's two things I know for sure_

_She was sent here from heaven_

_And she's daddy's little girl_

_As I drop to my knees by her bed at night_

_She talks to Jesus and I close my eyes_

_And I thank God for all the joy in my life_

_Oh but most of all_

_For butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer_

_Sticking little white flowers all up in her hair_

_Walk beside the pony daddy it's my first ride_

_I know the cake looks funny daddy but I sure tried_

_Oh with all that I've done wrong I must have done something right_

_To deserve a hug every morning and butterfly kisses at night_

Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle

* * *

The next year went remarkably quick for Sara, Nick and Savannah. Sara decided to keep the house and Nick "officially" moved in. He moved his stuff out of storage and into his room (which was the guest room). Sara went back to work after 6 weeks of maternity leave. Because of the cost of daycare, Sara and Nick rearranged their schedules so that Sara was working part time and the nights she worked Nick was off to take care of the baby. Plus, Grissom made sure that they both got one night off a week together so that they could have "family" time.

Hank's parents came and visited right after Savannah was born, they also came for Christmas and Easter. They loved spending time with Savannah. Nick's parents also came to visit from time to time. They spoiled Savannah rotten like she was their own flesh and blood grandchild. At one point, Sara questioned them on it, she was told in no uncertain terms that Savannah was "their grand-daughter and they were going to spoil her".

With Savannah's first birthday quickly approaching, Sara was desperately trying to get the house picked up. Sara and Nick were planning a huge party for Savannah and both Nick's parents and Hank's parents were flying in for the occasion.

Sara was sitting on the couch watching TV waiting for Nick to come home from work. Savannah was walking around the coffee table, hesitantly, keeping one hand on it for support. Sara smiled at her baby; she couldn't believe that she was almost a year.

Sara had spent the day trying in vain to get Savannah to say "mama". Doctor Ross had told her that Savannah would talk when she was ready and not to rush it, but Sara was anxious to hear her daughter's first words.

She heard Nick pull into the driveway and the engine turn off. Nick opened the door to the house and came in.

"Where's my princess?" He said shutting the door and looking for Savannah.

"Dada" Savannah said while running (as fast as her little legs would allow her) to Nick.

Sara and Nick's mouths dropped. Savannah had just said her first word and walked (well ran) without the support of a person or inanimate object. Nick scooped her up and held her close.

"What was that angel?"

"Dada"

Nick smiled at Sara, who got up from the couch and went to them.

"Savannah, mama" Sara said.

Savannah smiled, "dada".

"Mama"

"Dada"

"You love your daddy don't you baby?" Nick said. Savannah giggled and buried her face into his chest.

"That's not fair. I've been trying to get her to say mama all day and you come waltzing in and suddenly its 'dada'" Sara said angrily.

"What can I say; she's a daddy's girl. Aren't you princess?" Nick said.

Savannah smiled and snuggled closer to Nick.

"See, she loves me." Nick told Sara.

"Yeah, well, she's not the only one" Sara replied without thinking.

"Oh really" Nick's eyebrows went up.

"I said that out loud, didn't I?"

"Yep, you did." Nick carried Savannah to her playpen and set her down. He handed her the stuffed pig Grissom gave her. "Here play with Ms. Piggy while daddy talks to mommy."

"Dada" Savannah said.

Nick leaned over, "maybe you should learn to say mama, you know make her happy, get her off my back."

Savannah laughed and began to play with Ms. Piggy. Nick made his way back over to Sara who was busy getting stuff together. She was also rambling.

"This house is a mess. Your parents are going to be here soon. Hank's parents are going to be here in an hour. What on earth was I thinking? Letting them spend the night here. We don't have enough rooms! Not to mention that the rooms are a complete mess!"

Nick puts his hands on her shoulders, spins her around and kisses her.

Savannah starts clapping from her playpen. Nick and Sara pull apart and look at her. Savannah just smiles.

Nick shook his head, "no boyfriends for you" he said.

Sara slapped him on the arm, "Nick!"

"Okay, fine, she can have a boyfriend…when she's thirty"

"Nick Stokes, you're horrible."

Nick smiled, "that's why you love me."

Sara wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close to her.

"The last year and a half has been really hard for me. I was dealing with being a mother and a widow. There were times that I didn't think I was going to survive the sadness, but you were always there for me. You gave me strength when I had none. When I read Hank's note encouraging me to open my heart up to love, I didn't think I could. Even though he was telling me too, I felt if I did I would betray him somehow. Eventually I realized that he wanted me to fall in love again. I know that if things had been reversed, I would have wanted him to find someone." Sara paused before continuing, "What I'm trying to say Nick is that I love you. I love you more than you'll know. I can't imagine what my life would be life if you weren't around."

Nick smiled, leaned down and gave her a kiss.

"Sara, I love you. I love you so much. I want, no I need you to know, that I have always cared about it. The last year though my feelings for you have only grown. I can't imagine my life without you in it. I don't want to imagine that either. You and Savannah are my world. My family. I want to be with you Sara. I want to be your husband. I want us to spend the rest of our lives together."

Sara smiled through her tears and kissed him.

Nick smiled, "so does that mean you'll marry me?"

She smiled back, "there's tons of twenty four hour chapels on the strip, pick one."


	13. Viva Forever

Three to Tango

Title: Daddy

Disclaimer: Sorry we still don't own anything.

AN: Missy and I would like to thank everyone for reading this story, for following us on this journey. We know that it has taken time. We really appreciate it.

Tissue Warning, you might need them for the end of the chapter!

Be on the look out for our new endeavors…

I Must Overcome the Beautiful People in This Mad World Sooner or Later

A CSI Parody (title to be determined later)

* * *

_I'm here without you baby_

_But you're still on my lonely mind_

_I think about you baby_

_And I dream about you all the time_

Here Without You, Three Doors Down

_I'm with you  
Whenever you tell, my story  
For I am all I've done  
Remember, I will still be here  
As long as you hold me, in your memory  
Remember me_

Remember, Josh Groban

_Hasta Manana,  
Always be mine  
Viva forever, I'll be waiting  
Everlasting, like the sun  
Live forever,  
For the moment  
Ever searching for the one_

Viva Forever, The Spice Girls

* * *

The years progressed quickly for the family. Nick and Sara decided to marry the day before Savannah's first birthday. They waited for both sets of parents to arrive, and then called the team to meet them at a chapel. Catherine and Greg brought their son, Jackson Thomas Sanders. When Nick, Sara and Savannah arrived to the chapel the team clapped and all of them said "it was about damn time."

There were many surprises that day. One was that Catherine and Greg decided to marry. The second was Warrick announcing that he had secretly married his girlfriend, Tina, two months prior. The biggest shock was when a very pregnant Lady Heather arrived and Grissom announced he was going to be a daddy.

A little over a year later, Sara and Nick announced to the team that they were expecting another baby. Cassidy Nicole Stokes came into the world seven months later. Nick also decided to legally adopt Savannah. Not wanting to take anything away from Hank, they decided that Savannah would be Pedigrew-Stokes.

* * *

7 Years Later

Nick was sitting on the couch waiting for his two princesses to come home from school. Savannah is 8 and in 3rd grade while Cassidy is 5 and in kindergarten. Nick had taken the day off to take care of a very pregnant and uncomfortable Sara, who was put on bed rest. They had spent the better part of the day discussing, debating and arguing on what to name their son. Nick was so fed up with the arguing that he actually told Sara that they should just let the girls decide on his name. Sara had cringed at the thought of what her daughters would name their brother.

Nick looked up, hearing the front door open and the girls come in, waving goodbye to the carpool.

"Hello, my princesses" Nick said to the girls.

Cassidy ran to the couch and jumped on Nick's lap, burying her face in his chest.

"Hi daddy"

Nick kissed her forehead, "how was your day sweetheart?"

"I was leader today. I got to be at the line leader and I got to help the teacher pass out papers."

"That's great sweetie!" Nick replied.

Nick turned his attention to Savannah, who had not moved from the door. She had a sad expression on her face.

"Hey Cassidy, why don't you go tell mommy about your day."

Cassidy jumped off his lap and ran towards the master bedroom. Nick glanced over at Savannah.

"Come here honey" He said, "sit down with daddy." He patted the space next to him on the couch. Savannah sighed deeply and walked slowly to the couch and sat down.

"What's wrong?"

"School sucks." Savannah simply replied.

Nick gazed at her. "What do you mean school sucks? You had a great day yesterday."

"Yeah, well that was before everyone found out that I'm a freak." Savannah replied and wrapped her arms around herself.

"What are you talking about? You're not a freak. Who told you that?"

Savannah looked at her dad, "the kids were talking about their parents and our last names. Well stupid Billy goes 'hey Savannah, how come your baby sister has one last name and you have two. Did your first family not want you or something?'"

"What did you do?" Nick asked, concerned.

"I hit him" Savannah told him.

"Savannah Rose! What did we tell you about hitting others?"

"Well…you said not to but mommy said…"

"Forget what mommy said. You can't go by what mommy says right now" Nick quickly interrupted.

"How come?"

"Because pregnant women tend to say things they really don't mean." Nick answered.

"Oh" Savannah replied. "Hey, daddy how come Cassidy's last name is Stokes and my last name is Pedigrew-Stokes?"

"Let's go to your room" Nick said and they both stood up and headed to Savannah's room. They walked into her room and Savannah sat down on the bed.

"Stay right here. I have to get something"

Savannah nodded and Nick left the room, he came back holding a photo album and a letter.

He sat down on the bed next to her, "Savannah I need to tell you something very important. You see before you were born mommy was married to a man named Hank Pedigrew. He was a wonderful person and he loved your mommy very much."

"What happened to him?" Savannah asked.

"Well, when mommy was pregnant with you, Hank went out to the store and was in a car accident."

Savannah thought for a moment, her eyes got big and started to water up. "Wait, are you saying that Hank is my daddy?" Savannah started to cry. "I thought you were my daddy."

Nick wrapped his arms around her. "I am honey; I'm just not your birth daddy. Do you remember when Grandpa Grissom took you to the lab and told you about DNA?"

Savannah nodded. "Yeah, he put the q-tip in my mouth and I got to look at my DNA in Mia's lab."

"That's right. See you and Hank share the same DNA."

"He died didn't he?" Savannah asked.

Nick nodded. "He had me write you a letter. He wanted you to know how much he loved you. When he died, I moved in with mommy and took care of both of you. I love you so much princess that I went out and adopted you which is why you have two last names. Just think you are the only person that has two daddies that love you very much."

Nick handed Savannah the photo album and the letter. "I'm going to leave you alone so you can read the letter. If you need me come and get me okay."

"Okay, daddy." Nick kissed her head and left the room. Savannah opened the letter and began to read.

_To my precious baby girl,_

_Hello my darling. My name is Hank and I am your birth daddy. I know you are probably confused because I know Nick has been your daddy in all the ways that matter. I am sorry that I won't be here to see you be born, to say your first words, to take your first steps. On your first day of kindergarten, your high school graduation and when you get married. I want you to know that I love you and your mommy very much._

_I am having your daddy Nick write this letter for me because I am in the hospital. I have been in a car accident and I know I will not make it. My "always be prepared" mantra has told me I need to get these thoughts on to paper for you._

_The first time I met your mommy I couldn't believe how beautiful she was. I couldn't believe she agreed to go out with me. Unfortunately, I really hurt mommy and I didn't see her for over a year. When I ran into mommy again we slowly began a friendship. Mommy needed to learn to trust me again. Our friendship eventually turned into something more. I love your mommy with all my heart and soul._

_The day mommy found out she was pregnant with you was one of the best days of my life. I knew that you would be a girl. Even though mommy insisted that you were a boy, I knew differently. I knew that you would be a "daddy's girl"._

_I am heartbroken that I won't be there for you and mommy but I know that Nick will be a wonderful daddy to you. He will love you and spoil you and you will be his "daddy's girl"._

_I will always be with you sweetheart. Always remember that._

_Love always,_

_Daddy_

After she finished reading the letter, she wiped her tears and looked through the photo album. As soon as she was done, she closed the album and tucked the note inside of it. She placed the album in the drawer beside her bed. She then got up and went to the living room to her daddy. She wrapped her arms tightly around him.

"I love you daddy." She said.

"I love you too princess." Nick replied.

Savannah sat down on the couch beside Nick. "So, can you tell me about him?"

"Okay, well at first I hated him." Nick began.

The End

* * *

AN: That's it! Thank you guys so much for sticking with us through this story. We really appreciate it!

Missy and Brianna


End file.
